Mile Markers: Out in the Elements

Seattle winters aren’t for fairweather runners. We may not get the bitter cold and mountains of snow like the Midwest and Northeast (and I’m grateful for that), but we forget the feeling of sunshine. This week of running and skiing was a battle against the elements – rain, wind, and decently cold temperatures. 

The damp and cold weather triggered Raynaud’s-like symptoms in my hands this past week. I have to remember to wear gloves on my runs even when the temperature was in the mid-40s, because otherwise, my hands turn white, then purple-ish, then red, and remain numb and cold for the rest of the day. I made that mistake one day and quickly remembered to not leave my hands uncovered when out in the elements. 

Monday: 4 mile run

A giant hill looms near one of my routes, so I decided to tackle this hill. I ran it this beast – 150 feet of elevation gain in approximately one-third of a mile – once before with Ryan. The hill is within the first mile, which makes it extra challenging – but after climbing that, the rest of the run felt relaxed.

Tuesday: 6 mile run & strength training

I took Ollie out for a run and we had the unfortunate timing of running the garbage truck route on a normally low traffic route. Poor Ollie is terrified of large trucks and would drop down to the ground, quivering, whenever the truck passed us. Overall, this was a good run, but Ollie was done by 6 miles, so I called it a day as well. 

This strength training workout kicked my butt in a good way. I used a 26 lb kettlebell (this awesome one from Rep Fitness) and completed the following workout: 

Mobility:
Shoulder release on foam roller
2 sets of 10 lateral band walks
2 sets of 10 arm swings

Strength:
3 sets of: 
10 kettlebell swings
10 kettlebell sumo squats to high pulls
10 kettlebell single-leg deadlifts
10 kettlebell split squats with pass
10 kettlebell pull, snatch, press
10 side planks with twist
30 seconds jumping lunges
10 planks with knee dips

Wednesday: 4 mile run

I took Charlie out for a short run, with the intention of completing 3-4 miles. We ran four miles in a steady drizzle, keeping our pace easy especially on the slick wood of the boardwalk. The light run loosened up my legs after strength training the night before. 

Thursday: 35 minute Pilates workout

I did the same Magic Circle Body Symmetry workout from Pilatesology as I did last week. The combination of strengthening, mobility work, and stretching compliments running so well. Once the rain let up, I took the dogs for a long walk.

Friday: 4 mile tempo run

I know it’s not ideal to do a speed workout before a long run, but both Ollie and I wanted to run fast on Friday. I desired a faster pace because I did not dress appropriately for the real feel of 20 degrees (thanks to 20 mph winds), and Ollie wanted to run fast because a flock of ducks at the start of our run excited his hunting/herding instincts. (Also, I needed to tire him out because he was literally bouncing off the furniture that morning.) We averaged 7:33/mile for 4 miles, with the first mile at 8:01 and the final mile at 7:16. 

Saturday: 12 mile long run

Ryan and I were both glad to be done with this run. Our 12-mile long run started in the rain, fighting against a fierce headwind.  We maintained a very easy pace to conserve energy against the wind. After the turn-around point on our out-and-back route, we enjoyed some respite from the wind.

But then… Ollie slightly paused, and I looked down to see a rabbit in his mouth. We had seen a rabbit sitting on the trail on our way out, not moving – it appeared to be old or ill. Before I could spot it on our return, Ollie had it – the rabbit didn’t’ even try to run away. Thankfully, Ollie did not bite the rabbit – he soft-mouth carried it and dropped it quickly. There were no wounds or blood but the poor thing was clearly in shock. We spent a few minutes trying to see if the rabbit was okay, but it didn’t move (and yes, there were a couple tears on my part). 

The last 3.5 miles were just focused on finishing the run – Ollie was upset from being disciplined and Ryan and I were upset about the rabbit. Then the three of us stopped at a nearby burger drive-in and ate French fries (yes, even Ollie ate some) as we warmed up from a cold, windy, rainy, mildly traumatizing run. 

Sunday: Skiing

We had our final ski lesson on Sunday.  While 20 inches of fresh snow in the past 48 hours alone, the snow level was fantastic – but the drizzle of rain and thick fog were less the ideal weather. Still, some rain isn’t going to keep us indoors!  We warmed up on a quick green run before our lessons. The final lesson was so valuable – we refined our turns and practice transversing more. After the hour and 45 minute lesson, Ryan and I spent the next couple hours skiing green and blue hills. We had to take it slow because of the thick fog at the top of the mountain – I couldn’t see more than a couple yards ahead – but we had so much fun. 

Linking up with Weekly Wrap! 

How was your week in running?
What was your weather like this week?